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With the QUICKSINK program, the US Air Force will acquire anti-ship guided bombs

April 29th

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If airborne anti-ship missiles, such as the RGM-84A Harpoon, the AM39 Exocet, or the AGM-158c LRASM, were designed to overcome warships such as frigates and destroyers, and have capabilities specific to counter the defense systems of these ships, they are on the other hand complex to implement, and carry a relatively low explosive payload (between 150 and 250 kg depending on the model), making them weapons that are not very suitable for overcoming large merchant ships. As for their high prices, they make them irrelevant for taking on smaller ships, such as missile patrol boats. In addition, if heavy torpedoes have so far been the weapon of choice for overcoming large ships, these can only be used by submarines, which are by nature few in number. It is precisely to meet these needs that the Quicksink program was launched.

Developed by the Air Force Research Laboratory, Quicksink aims to equip Joint Direct Attack Munition, or JDAM, guidance systems with different types of seekers to target a vessel on a move (the seeker is masked by a stoker on the illustrative image of the article). Remember that the JDAM is a kit that transforms a smooth bomb into a hovering guided bomb, making it possible to hit targets with great precision thanks to mixed inertial and GPS navigation at several tens of kilometers depending on the release altitude, including in bad weather. time, when laser guidance is less effective. Very economical to use, the JDAM kit costs less than $30.000, it is also quick to produce and flexible to use, which explains why it has been chosen by more than 35 air forces to equip their F-15 aircraft, F-16, F-18 and F-35. The kit can equip different models of bombs, from the 82 kg Mk250 to the 84 kg Mk-1000, and offers significant operational flexibility to armies.